Compatibility
by The Forbidden Secrets
Summary: If anyone were to ask Ratchet what being romantic with Starscream was like the first word that would come to mind was awkward, however that didn't stop him from trying. Oneshot. Ratchet/Starscream


Title: Compatibility

Pairing: Ratchet/Starscream

Rating: Pg-13 (T)

Disclaimer: I don't own. I wasn't even born yet.

AN: This does have a back-story that isn't fully written yet- however it's not need to read this at all.

_And when I touch you I feel happy, inside It´s such a feeling, that my love, I can't hide - Beatles "I Want To Hold Your Hand" _

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If anyone were to ask Ratchet what being romantic with Starscream was like the first word that would come to mind was awkward. Seekers, for one, were extremely difficult to touch in a way that couldn't be passed off as simply friendly. Their shoulder vents created an effective block around their heads while their wings decisively stopped any angle of hold from the waist up. Their backs were particularly unapproachable since only their legs were really separated from their wall like form. That left the medic with the only option of keeping his hands low on the seeker's waist if he wanted to hold him close forcing the arrogant flyer to place his hands on Ratchet's shoulders in an openly submissive pose that the Autobot was positive Starscream wasn't fond of. Even in such a position Ratchet's own outward chassis clashed roughly against the seekers cockpit and fan casing. Clearly when their prototypes had been designed for battle no one had considered that seekers would ever attempt to be held in the same fashion that some ground bound transformers took practice in.

It didn't help that no matter how hard he tried to resist the impulse every time he saw the blue and red flyer he was plagued with the urge to _touch. _His hands that were so used to being able to handle the most complex and delicate of tools longed to carefully map out Starscream's body in the most unprofessional of ways. At first it had been a challenge, something he had never planned on backing down from. Now it was just maddening. What made it worse was the blatant lack of the air commander's usual scathing temper and wit. His continuous failure at being able hold and touch like he wanted, and was sure by this point that Starscream wanted too, was bound to have elicited at least one comment on the medic's lack of skill. It wasn't as if the younger mech ever held his tongue, as the humans say, for anyone else, not even Megatron's failures. But even as time wore on and he steadily got nowhere the seeker kept silent, his optics always intensely watchful like he was waiting for something specific.

Sinking tiredly down on one of the medic bay berths Ratchet shook away the thought process, resting back on his hands happy to have no patients for the moment. Ever since the war started it seemed he was always busy with someone or another who managed to get themselves injured. To have the entire base functioning for once was a miracle, more than likely caused by the current chaos at the Decepticon base, but a miracle none the less. Just when he was about to lay back for a much needed recharge cycle he heard the bay's doors slide quietly open as someone walked boldly inside without so much as a greeting. Groaning internally, assuming that one of the twins had managed to hurt themselves once again doing something stupid, he onlined all his resting systems, turning to face the _visitor_ with a reprimand at the tip of his glossa.

"I'm not sure I appreciate that face."

Words dying in his vocalizer Ratchet focused sharply at the seeker that had invaded his medbay. A smirk, about as close as the younger mech ever got to a smile, was spread across the seeker's face, his body relaxed against the door frame in a haughty pose. His optics glowed brightly in amusement as he reached lazily over to close the door with a quiet click.

"What are you doing here?" Scanning the seeker quickly he was relived at the mech's perfect condition. "You don't appear to be damaged." In fact the seeker looked like he just flew off the assembly line, his outer coat shining with new paint that abolished the long familiar Decepticon symbols. Ratchet didn't bother to believe that they would ever be replaced with the red of the Autobot insignia and unlike most of his comrades he was quite okay with that.

The smirk vanished off of Starscream's face as he pushed himself off the wall, his faceplates twisted in clear agitation. "The auto-twits have no need for their medic today. I, on the other hand, do."

Ratchet watched carefully as the volatile seeker walked slowly towards him distinctly aware of the fully operational Null Ray on the other's arm. It wasn't like he wasn't glad to see Starscream, the two of them had been barred from contact for a few weeks when the seeker had first arrived and then a very ill planned out attack by the Decepticon forces had given the medic extensive repair work to do on the other Autobots. Even still no matter how secretly eager he was to grab hold of the flyer and just relax for a moment he was not as blind as Cliffjumper was so keen on insisting he was. Starscream was the kind of mech that would shoot you in the front if you ticked him off and Ratchet never forgot it no matter how blind he was slowly becoming to the seeker's other faults. "Was there something you wanted?"

The low short thrum from Starscream's thrusters was indication enough that Ratchet wasn't acting the way the ex-air commander wanted. Skyfire called it a warning sign of a seeker's fight programming coming to the forefront and readying them for flight. The medic called it a 'silence your vocalizer and figure out what the slag you said or get shot' signal. Rethinking his words for a moment he rephrased his question. "I was about to go into a recharge cycle. Would you like to join me?"

"I suppose that could be acceptable."

Even with Starscream's choice of wording Ratchet knew he had won the seeker over as his face melded seamlessly back into his usual arrogant grace. Scooting over on the berth Ratchet motioned for the seeker to join him, amused and, secretly, disheartened by the way the seeker had to angle sharply to slide his wing behind the medic as he hopped up next to him. After a moment of sifting from his slightly larger companion Ratchet smiled lightly as Starscream finally settled, his body locked as close as he could get to the medic comfortably. His seeker was feeling affectionate today, something he would have never believed before everything that had happened.

A comfortable silence settled between them as the medic's surface functions once again began to slow or disengage. It was very easy to fear the seeker for all his malice and past deeds but he was slowly beginning to realize more and more that it was also just as easy to feel secure beside the war mech. Even Starscream's self damaging habit of almost never truly shutting down to rest, a trait that quickly put several of the other Autobot's on edge, was a relaxing thought as his own ability to protect himself waned under the stress of the past weeks.

A disapproving tsk drew his attention out of his own musing, optics locking up at Starscream's. "Yes?" He queried carefully.

"You still haven't rested since you released the yellow brat have you?"

"Which yellow brat?" Ratchet shot back earning himself a rather displeased glare. Sighing he looked away from the accusing red stare towards the emptiness of his med bay. "No I haven't. I had quite a bit of restocking to do after Bumblebee was cleared again for duty." He didn't have to look at the seeker to know that Starscream didn't care one bit how legitimate his excuses were and was just all the more displeased.

"Anyone else could have done that for you." The seeker shot back, annoyed that the medic had turned away from him. Even if it did mean that Ratchet knew he was right. When he didn't get a response Starscream swore he could feel the patience he tried very hard to maintain in the Autobot base (turns out they don't approve of sinking heat phasers into one another out of frustration) slipping.

Biting down a scathing comment on the uselessness of several specific mechs at the base Starscream decided to move past that topic until a later date, preferably once Ratchet was well rested and the rest of the base was left to fend for themselves. "Then you should rest now. They should know that you'd be useless to them if you can't function."

"I should." The medic agreed easily. He had been planning on it before the seeker had shown up in the first place after all and, though he often put others before himself, as a doctor he was well aware of what he needed to keep himself in top condition. It would be best if he either sent Starscream away or like he had offered make the move to bed them both sooner rather than later. This knowledge however didn't manage to make him move.

"Ratchet?"

The questioning in Starscream's voice only served to make his thoughts more conflicted. He was exhausted and several of his surface processes had long stopped including his outward perimeter sensor but on the other hand it was a rare moment to be alone with the seeker, not to mention having the other mech acting outwardly concerned.

Firming his resolve the best he could he lent comfortably back against Starscream's wing, a appendage he had learned was exceptionally strong despite how relatively thin it was, his optics dimming slightly as his shoulder pressed awkwardly against the null rays beside him. "We could just sit like this for a bit." He offered, trying to sound more like it was an everyday thing rather than a gesture he had been wary of trying.

Sure, he reasoned, Starscream had even himself claimed that the two of them were 'together' as Spike liked to term it but it was no secret that the ex-SIC didn't like being touched without explicit permission. Keeping his gaze outward to the room he waited for the seeker's reaction. When none came he, much to his dismay, was almost forced to turn his gaze back up into the burning reds beside him.

Looking down into the dimmed blues Starscream frowned. "I don't understand you at all. I really don't get any of you good-y save the universe lot but you're at the top." Silencing Ratchet from speaking the seeker tempered his voice; offence threatening to let loose on his would be mate. "_I_ hunt you down, _I_ take the time to make you trust me, I even abandon both sides of the war to be a… _neutral_," he spit out the word still disgusted with the implications, "and _still_ you are afraid of coming near me."

Ratchet had to silently admit that the seekers words were a bit shaming. While he had never asked for Starscream's attentions (and at some point he was both vehemently against them as well as afraid) he had also never been lacking in them. Their early courtship had been something akin to treading a minefield blindfolded while playing Russian roulette but he had lived through it and had even gotten Starscream as his own. So naturally in the joy of his victory he had withdrawn like a sparkling too afraid to tick the seeker off to take any risks. They just didn't seem to be _compatible_ with one another, and he had let that idea get in the way.

"You idiot I'm not afraid of coming near you." The medic ground out.

Starscream shot Ratchet a rather disbelieving look. "Well at least you have your temper back."

"Ha ha." Ratchet toned dryly, knowing the larger mech still wanted a better answer. "I just didn't want to push because… well I know you've noticed that it's not exactly _easy_." With the effort it took him to admit his insecurities the white mech did _not_ appreciate Starscream breaking out in laughter.

Somehow managing to feel even more idiotic then he had in the first place Ratchet turned fully towards Starscream, his optics glowering in irritation. "Shut the hell up before I remove that mis-equalized vocalizer of yours."

Starscream, to his credit, really was attempting to stop laughing but every time he refocused on the medic he found the entire situation all the more amusing. "And to think this whole time I thought you were just holding back because of your weak plated friends of yours."

"What!?"

The scandalized expression on the Autobot's face sent Starscream spiraling into another fit of laughter. "I said," he managed between laughs, "I thought your problem was the whole 'oh no I'm such a good little Autobot but I still like the evil Decepticon whatever should I do."

Raising a brow ridge at the seeker Ratchet had to admit that he saw what his companion found so funny. Nothing, however, said he had to admit it to anyone besides himself. "That's just stupid Starscream."

"Not as stupid as what you're hung up on." The seeker shot back, laughter turning into a quiet mirth on his face. "I didn't think you were that narrow minded."

"I not-"

"Then you're blind, take your pick." Starscream shrugged. "How exactly did you think my brother's managed if our forms were really that cumbersome?"

"I didn't consider that." Ratchet suddenly wanted the conversation to be over a quickly as possible to save himself some dignity. The look that the seeker was still shooting him was enough to make him want to lock up the medbay until he absolutely positively _had_ to be seen. "We haven't had fliers around for long and before the war I've only worked on civilians. It's rare for fliers to be outside of the military builds." He offered matte- of-factly.

"So in other words you have no clue how my body works and you were just too skittish to ask me."

Knowing he was never going to get a kinder reaction to his foolish behavior Ratchet sank heavily once again back against Starscream's wing. "Yeah something like that." He conceded softly. What point was there really to arguing the obvious. "It's been a long war."

Starscream nodded silently, knowing all too well what the white mech meant. The longer one was in battle day in and day out they less they thought about unnecessary seeming things like interfacing (which with the wrong mech could get one killed for allowing them to be so intimate) and even sometimes forget that once there had been a time where the desire to find companionship had been a driving force and the very idea of fighting for their lives almost unheard of. "It has."

Shifting slightly so the Medic was pressed further into his frame Starscream reached down slowly, glancing once habitually at the door, before taking Ratchet's hand in his own. The movement was nearly too sentimental for him to usually consider but with how worked up the Autobot had managed to make himself over something as meaningless, in the long run, as physical compatibility he figured just this once it would be okay. As long as no one else walked in that was.

Tightening his fingers around the lither ones of a born medic his motor purred lowly in his chest, the soft vibrations traveling across to gently coax Ratchet into relaxing further.

Ratchet returned the hold with some astonishment, white fingers slipping around blue as his frame sunk against the others. "This is enough isn't it." He murmured, the vibrations coming off the Seeker humming through his chassis.

"Of course you idiot, worry about everything else later."

Nodding Ratchet allowed the exhaustion that had been nagging at him finally take over, his systems shutting down one by one into recharge, a contented smile on his lips.

If someone had asked him what being romantic with Starscream was like the first word that would come to mind was awkward. The seeker simply refused to react in a manner that was expected of him and further more seemed to make a game out of contradicting his own behaviors at every turn. He was ruthless, demanding, conniving, and a strangely considerate partner. But with his hand held tightly as he lost his grip on his surroundings he figured that awkward fit just as well as anything else in their lives, and that was enough.

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